Contact:
Stephanie Giralmo, Public Relations & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MBAKS Builds Ramps to Give Mobility Freedom to Those in Need

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 23, 2022—Since 1993 the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) has built more than 500 wheelchair access ramps for families in need. Built by MBAKS members and community volunteers, these ramps provide a much-needed benefit for those who struggle to get themselves or their loved ones safely in and out of their homes.

“Rampathon is one of our signature community stewardship programs at MBAKS which we look forward to every year,” says Jerry Hall, Interim Executive Director, Chief Operating and Financial Officer at MBAKS. “We are so grateful to our members, who lend their time and expertise to provide mobility freedom to individuals and families within our community.”

This year MBAKS built 20 different mobility ramps for deserving families across King and Snohomish Counties and showcased 16-year-old Lucas Golla-Patsula. At 4 months, Lucas started having seizures and is unable to walk or talk. Confined to a stroller and wheelchair since infancy, the current ramp at Lucas’ home is in disrepair and unsafe. MBAKS member, Carlisle Classic Homes, built a new ramp for the family to aid in ease of mobility and safety.

In addition to the 18 member companies that volunteered to be a part of this year’s program, long term signature sponsor Dunn Lumber provided support by donating funds to help provide lumber at no cost.

“Giving back to our local community members is very important to Blackwood Builders Group, and Rampathon is just one of several ways we give back to the communities we serve,” said Trevor Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder of Blackwood Builders Group. “We’ve been building ramps for community members in need for 4 years and look forward to participating in the program every year.”

About MBAKS

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders’ association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing region. From new technology to advances in sustainability, from collaborative public policy efforts to investing in our communities, our commitment to a thriving, inclusive and well-planned region never wavers. We are the professional homebuilders, architects, remodelers, tradespeople (carpenters, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians), planners and engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who believe everyone deserves access to a healthy and productive place to call home.

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By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Home Prices Up Amid Continued Inventory Crunch

King and Snohomish counties continue to have less than one month's supply of housing inventory for sale. Our region's low supply coupled with strong demand is driving up home prices. The latest market summary from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service shows median home prices are up 14 percent year-over-year in both counties during February.

The Builders' Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, U.S. Census Bureau, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:

By Cameron Poague, Redmond Reporter

It’s not hard to see the good in this world—you just have to know where to look.

Take the corner of Northeast 140th Place and 100th Avenue Northeast in Kirkland, for example, where Angela Maccarrone can now freely and safely get in and out of her home thanks to a new wheelchair access ramp built free of charge by builder company Lochwood-Lozier Custom Homes.

The ramp was donated as part of an annual event called Rampathon, during which volunteers from the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish counties donate their time and skills to build ramps for Puget Sound residents in need.